Whether you’re building a new home, looking to build a new job site trailer or constructing a new business, portable and easy to relocate steel shipping containers could be just the thing you need for your next project. Some estimates suggest that there are 24 million empty, retired steel shipping containers on our planet. Most containers are only retired after 10-15 years of use.
With so many Portable and easy to relocate steel shipping containers available, the possibilities are endless when it comes to using them. Here are 10 reasons why steel shipping containers need to be a part of your next building project:
- Conex containers can last more than 20 years, provided they are taken care of with regular paint and maintenance.
- The containers are eco-green structures, made from 85 percent recycled steel and are fully recyclable if they are demolished. As an added bonus, reusing them saves new building materials.
- Shipping containers, whether they are single units or multiple connected units, can withstand winds of up to 100 miles per hour when they are rooted on foundation. They can withstand winds of up to 175 miles per hour when they are anchored with pylons. Both scenarios make them ideals for building container-homes in heavy tornado and hurricane areas.
- Reusing a single 40 foot container upcycles about 3,500kg of steel and saves about 8,000 kilowatt hours that would otherwise be needed to melt it down.
- Durable, steel shipping containers average a 25-year lifespan.
- Portable and easy to relocate steel shipping containers are just that, portable and easy to relocate. They are inherently stackable, durable, weather-resistant and usually don’t require a foundation.
- Most shipping containers use 40 foot units and standard shipping containers are eight feet wide by 8.5 tall. Each one gives about 300 feet of living or office space. Added together, three or four of these containers side by side can create a 1,200 square foot, three-bedroom house.
- Building a housing structure out of a shipping container takes 2-3 weeks. Compare that to a brick and mortar structure, which typically takes around 4-6 months to make.
- Building with repurposed shipping containers can add up to a cost savings of up to 40 percent as compared to traditional construction methods.
- Portable and easy to relocate Conex containers are not only portable and easy to use, they’re extremely versatile. They can be used to build everything from a portable office to a workshop to a hospital to portable concession stands.
With their durability, eco-friendliness and versatility, steel shipping containers are a logical option for your next project and the only limit to what they can be used to create is the imagination. Building with shipping containers saves time, money and stress that can affect regular construction methods. A steel cargo container home or shipping container office can look great with the proper TLC and is sure to be worth the time investment with its long lifespan.